Draft-equalizer.



PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

L. E. BOWMAN. DRAFT EQUALIZER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1'.

/ H ATTORNEYS PATBNTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

L. E. BOWMAN. DRAFT BQUALIZER. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 5, 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ikm.

INVENTOR.

W/f/VESSES: L -t l I I A TTORNE Y5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DRAFT-EQUALIZEH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed July 6,1966. Serial No. 324,908.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAMBERT E. BOWMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Flanagan, in the county of Livingston and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Draft-Equalizer, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention has relation to draft-equalizers and turning-gears forplows; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of itsparts, as hereinafter shown and described. P

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind indicatedespecially adapted to be applied to gang-plows, and it is usuallyconstructed so that four draft-animals may be used, two being hitched oneach side of the tongue, and the off horse on the right-hand side willbe the only animal required to move in the furrow.

The attachment consists of atongue, which is pivoted at its rear endwith a yoke, which in turn is permitted to swing in a horizontaldirection about a stud attached to the frame. The said yoke is pivotallyattached to the end of the tongue, whereby the tongue may swingvertically with relation to the yoke. By this arrangement it is possiblefor the outer end of the tongue to have substantially a universalmovement. The spindle of the wheel that supports the forward portion ofthe frame is pitched at an angle to a horizon tal, so that the wheel iscanted in the furrow and is therefore braced against lateral strain. Thewheel-spindle is a continuation of a vertical shaft which is ournaled torotate horizontally in the frame. A sleeve is attached to the upper endof said spindle-shaft and at the outer end ofsaid sleeve is fixedahorizontally-disposed sleeve. The last said sleeve receives ahorizontally-disposed pin or stub shaft which is held against rotation.An arm is journaled upon the said pin or stub shaft and extends in aforward direction and said frame and the double and swingle trees areattached tothe cross connections of the gangplows by means of a suitableclevis, said clevis being located to one side of the said tongue or theline of draft of the implement, it being presumed that the line of draftof the implement is coincident with the longitudinal axis of the saidtongue when the same is extended in a straight forward direction withrelation to the frame.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of thedraft-equalizer and turning-gear. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of thesame.

The beams 1 1 of the gang-plows are connected together at their forwardends by the cross-bar 2. Theplate or clevis 3 is located at one end ofthe cross-beam 2. The frame 4 is superimposed above the plow-beams 1 1.The bell-crank shafts 5 5 are pivoted at their ends to the said frame 4and at intermediate points are pivotally connected with the beam 1 1.The stud 6 is fixed at one corner of the frame 4. The rear end of thetongue 7 is hinged to the ends of the yoke 8. Said yoke is journaledupon the upper end of the stud 6 and may swing horizontally thereon. Thetongue 7 may swing vertically with relation to the said yoke 8. From theabove description it is obvious that the outer end of the said tonguemay be moved in any direction, up or down or in curves, horizontal orvertical.

The frame 4 is provided at its forward end and at the side opposite tothat to which the stud 6 is fixed with the lateral extension 9.

The bearing 10 is attached to the outer side of the frame extension 9.The upper end of the spindle-shaft 11 is j ournaled in said bearing 10,while the spindle 12 is formed at the lower end of said shaft 11 andextends at an obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis of the same. Thefurrow-wheel 13 is journaled upon the spindle 12 and is adapted totravel in the furrow. The wheel 13 is canted at an angle to the verticalside of the furrow, and consequently the said wheel is braced againststrain and tends to maintain the implement in proper alinement with thefurrow previously out in the ground. The sleeve 14 is fixed to the upperend of the spindle-shaft 11, and consequently is vertically disposed.

The web 15 is provided at its outer end with the horizontally-disposedsleeve 16. The pin or stub shaft 17 is fixed in said sleeve 16 but maybe adjusted longitudinally therein, the set-screw 18 securing said pinor stub shaft 17 when in proper position. The rear end of the arm 18 isjournaled upon the said pin or stub shaft 17. The rear end of the arm 18is bifurcated, as at 19, and the collar 20 is located between the saidbifurcations 19 19 and is secured to the pin or stub shaft 17 by meansof the set-screw 21. The outer end of the said arm 18 is secured bymeans of j the cross-rods 22 and 23 to the rear portion of the tongue.The upper cross-rod 22 is of ordinary circular form in a transversedirection, while the lower cross-rod 23 is preferably made ofangle-iron. The cross-rod 22 is located upon the upper surfaces of thearm 18 and tongue 7, while the cross-rod 23 is in contact with thelowest surfaces of said parts.

From the foregoing description it is obvious that as the tongue 7 isswung in a horizontal direction the arm 18 is correspondingly swung and,in fact, the arm 18 moves in any direction to correspond with themovement of the tongue 7. As the said arm 18 moves the spindle-shaft 1 1is rotated upon its longitudinal axis, and the furrow-wheel 13 is causedto turn in the direction about ,to be taken by the implement.

The tree 24 is suitably secured to the clevis 3, and the trees 25 areattached in the usual manner to the said tree 24. It will be observedthat the point of connection of the tree 24 with the cross-beam 2 islocated upon the furrow side of the longitudinal axis of the tongue 7,which said axis for the purposes of explanation hereinafter is referredto as the line of draft of the implement. By the location of the pointof connection between the tree 24 and the plow-beams with such relationto the line of draft of the implement compensation is made for the factthat one of the animals on the furrow side of the implement must walk inthe furrow, and consequently this animal cannot exercise thesameleverage upon the implement as the other animals, for the reason that heis traveling over loose earth and is in a lower position.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A frame attached to a plow, a tongue connected with said frame andhaving universal movement at its outer end, a furrowwheel pivoted to theframe, a counter-shaft fixed with relation to the pivot of saidfurrow-wheel, means for adjusting said shaft longitudinally, an armjournaled upon said shaft, and cross connections connecting said arm andthe tongue to ether.

2. A frame attache to a plow, a tongue connected to said frame andhaving universal movement at its outer end, a furrowwheel pivoted to theframe, a counter-shaft fixed with relation to said furrow-wheel pivot,an arm journaled upon said counter-shaft, means for adjusting said armlaterally upon the shaft, and cross connections connecting the end ofsaid arm with said tongue.

3. A frame attached to a plow, a tongue attached to said frame andhaving universal movement at its outer end, a furrow-wheel pivoted tothe frame, a counter-shaft fixed with relation to the pivot of saidfurrowwheel, means for adjusting said counter-shaft longitudinally, anarm journaled upon said shaft, means for adjusting said armlongitudinally of the shaft, and cross connections connecting said armwith the tongue.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LAMBERT E. BOWMAN.

Witnesses:

ALBIN L. THoMPsoN, ALBERT SEALLENARF.

